Q and A

I do a lot of traditional tattoos so I like to have a basic idea of what someone wants and then do it in my own style. The best thing a customer can do to help is to bring in a solid idea and let me bring their idea to life with my own style.

Its really annoying. Most people compare it to a scratch. Its literally a controlled abrasion so you’re talking about a road rash type feeling after the fact. It can get real annoying but its like a burning vibration.

I love the history of it. There is such a camaraderie and we all unite under the same history. Its cool to see it all branch out from there and all the different paths everyone takes and what everyone is doing with it. Its also cool to know that with all those different styles we call came from the same place.

I think that public education is always a good thing. If the general intelligence level of the public rises due to something like that its a great thing. The problem is with the saturation of artists who don’t know what they’re doing who only want to be rockstars, make a bunch of money, or be popular. Thats the downside.

Gabe told me one time that people get the tattoo they deserve. If you start a tattoo and they get it finished by someone better than you then they deserve a better tattoo. If they get it done by someone worse, they deserve it. Their choices affect what they get.

I don’t think anyone is doing anything not already being done. I mean, if its done once it’ll be copied right away. There are people who I look up to because of the cleanliness and consistency of their work. They always do good work. The guys at Smith Street, Ink Smith and Rogers, Kings Avenue, and Rock of Ages. They just do consistently great work.

An ideal client would give me a picture or a really thorough idea and let me do whatever I want with it. A little bit of leniency is great, but not too much. I can’t tell a client what to get, only how it’ll look.

Of course. I’ll try to talk someone into getting something cool one time, but if they insist, they get what they get. It goes back to what I said a bit before, they get what they deserve. But I always suggest listening to the artist, we know best.

There is a lot of stuff I don’t believe in, but I still tattoo them. I don’t think an artist should push their morality on a client. I wouldn’t want someone to tell me I couldn’t get a tattoo I wanted. As for body placement, lower back tattoos generally aren’t fun for me.